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Time to relax, have a lie in, take it easy? Hell no! There was more, a lot more of Fraser Island to see. The bugle was sounded at 6:30am and the troops roused from their beds. Bags packed, breakfast forced down and off out into the wilds again

 

I like to make my own way around on holiday and visit the places I want in my own time at my own pace (when I say “my” I do of course mean “our”, hate anyone to think I drag the family around on my whims, hell no!). Not really an option on Fraser due to the driving skills needed. I struggle with urban roads let alone driving around in a sand pit. So, reluctantly, we took a guided tour along with the rest of the masses in a large 4WD bus. Amazing to watch these coach sized vehicles bouncing around the sand tracks. Our host and driver was again Gary and he welcomed us on board and pointed us at the empty bus so we could get a decent seat. Off we bounced and rolled along the same track as before to the western coast and 75 mile beach. We were old hands at this now, affording a wry smile as the newbies looked rather uncertain at the rough ride. The kids were grinning from ear to ear – or were they just grimacing from lack of sleep. Who knows (who cares)

We rolled out onto the beach and headed north. The weather was much better now. Still showers around but plenty of blue sky and warm sunshine. Less driving today so hopefully we could spend a little more time out of doors.

First stop was at a pair of Cessna light aircraft parked on the beach. They take off and land on the beach, the only one of two places in the World where this is done (the other is Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland). Gary plugged the fact that they run 15 minute flights over the island for $300AUD. Not something I’d planned but I was feeling in a particularly chipper mood, dangerous for a man with very little wallet control. The kids looked stunned as I got off the bus and handed over a credit card. Life’s too short and you never know when you might get a chance to fly over the worlds largest sand island on a glorious sunny day.

What can I say, it was an amazing 15 minutes. The views were breathtaking. You really get a sense of the scale of the island from above and especially the length and arrow-straightness of the beach.

We flew over the forests, graced by a rainbow.

We flew over the perched Butterfly Lake.

We flew over the Maheno Shipwreck, stunning from above.

Out over the sea looking for sharks and whales (none seen!). One more turn and we bounced back onto the beach. Over in a flash but memories to last a lifetime.

The pilot took a really nice family shot for us and we wound down with a wander about the rainbow cliffs and watched the next batch of people take their flights. Not a bad start to the day and it got better.

Next stop the Maheno Shipwreck. You can read about the history here, safe to say it’s a big attraction on Fraser. Under a dazzling blue sky it really is an evocative and impressive sight. I loved the contrast of colours between the sand the dark red of the rusting hulk and the blue sky. Having done my research it somehow looked different to how I imagined it. I realised that there was now much more of it submerged in the sand than on most promotional photos. The first shot below is mine from this year. The second one from a few years back

It’s a fascinating place to wander around  with plenty of artistic photo opportunities, but other events were unfolding.

There were a couple of dingos wandering on the periphery of the numerous tour bus groups, not really bothering anyone and the majority of people just being “dingo safe”. A couple of dumb tourists decided to approach them, like you are warned not to do and when the dingos moved towards them they panicked, as you are warned not to do, and ran away screaming, as you are warned not to do. The Dingos decided that they were fair game and started to chase them for a few seconds until they thought better of it and returned to idly looking for fish carcasses. All over in a few seconds but just a handy warning about treating these wonderful and wild animals with the respect they deserve.

Having satisfied our appetite for shipwrecks and near savaged tourists it was time for a swim. Off to Eli Creek

There’s a lot of water on Fraser! Numerous perched lakes (more later) and hundreds of creeks draining the forests. Eli Creek is one of the better known ones. In the wet season it drains 80 million litres per hour of perfectly clear, clean drinkable water out onto the beach. There is a boardwalk that follows it’s course inland for a few hundred metres and it’s stunning. A ribbon of clear water overhung with green and lush vegetation.

It is very popular with the tours but the boardwalk was relatively quiet. Most people seemed content to admire the creek from the beach. Not us! We like to get wet

There are steps down into the water at the far end of the boardwalk and we were in the water without hesitation. It’s only a couple of feet deep so you can either wade down or swim/float down in the current. It’s a cold but fantastic place to take a swim amongst the fish.

Here’s one of yours truly enjoying a float

TBF in particular has a very special fondness for this spot and it’s hard not to agree. The mix of dense green foliage, crystal clear water and blue sky was beguiling. Alas, the restrictions of being on a timetabled tour meant less time than we’d have liked. TBF waded the first run but was then persuaded to swim it and was very glad she did.

This did mean that everyone was back on the bus and waiting for us by the time we got changed. A common theme throughout the day as we like to extract maximum value from everything and were always last back on the bus 🙂

Onward (via lunch at Eurong) to our next stop and yet another of Fraser’s unique experiences. The forests of Fraser Island were heavily harvested for their high quality timber and Central Station in the middle of the island was the hub of the industry. Now it’s the heart of the what is the only place in the world where rainforest grows on sand.

We took one of what would become many rainforest walks on our trip and they are a real highlight, like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. Dark and exotic with huge towering trees, fan palms, epiphytes and strangler figs they are a world apart, all the more amazing here in that they grow on an island without any topsoil. It’s truly astounding to take in all the biodiversity just growing on a sand dune.

Problem is its so hard to capture this in a photograph. I guess I need more practice as most of the photos simply can’t do it justice. It’s one of those places you just have to experience for yourself.

 

I was still hobbling on crutches and combined with attempts to photograph the foliage and the birds I ended up a long way behind everyone else. We caught a glimpse of the stunning Azure Kingfisher but it was just took dark to get a photo. The bus engine was humming when I got back, just time for a very swift cuppa and high quality homemade cookie (my, they were good cookies!) before we were off yet again for our final stop

I mentioned the perched lakes we flew over earlier in the day and it was time to visit one close up. I’ve read a couple of reasons why they form. One was that the crumbling brown rock found on the island – called coffee rock-  in places forms an impenetrable layer that allows the water to collect. The other was that it’s the dead and decaying leaf litter that does the job. Either way Lake Mckenzie is an absolutely sensational spot.

Dark blue and turqouise water, surrounded by a white silica beach, perched amongst the green forest under a sunny blue sky. It was gorgeous and the water is astonishingly clear, just begs to be swum in.

I stripped off and dived straight in. Man, was the water cold. All the other positive spins were in use. “refreshing”, “invigorating” and the like but “cold” did it for me! Still amazing to swim in such clear cold water in such an idyllic spot. The common wild swimming theme that continued for the trip was repeated here. By the time the rest of the family had dithered and dallied and slowly worked their way into the water over a good 10-15 minute acclimatisation period, I’d had enough and wanted to get out. At least a chance for me to capture the atmosphere in photos.

This remains one of MY special places from the trip.

Refreshed and chilled in equal measure we were again last back on the bus and heading back to the resort. They day wasn’t done though. We went straight back down to the resort beach and after a warming brew (and cold beer in my case) we sat on the beach and watched the sunset.

Despite the huge size of the resort we were one of only a handful people there. The sand and the trees glowed with the setting sun and provided a calm and reflective finish to a truly memorable day.

Having sat down and written the post I’m still in wonder at how much we managed to cram into the day. It was the ongoing theme for the trip. We didn’t relax all that much but boy did we see and do some terrific stuff.

Sadly that was the end of our whistle stop trip to Fraser Island and the next morning we were again up early for the ferry back to mainland, in itself a pretty fine journey across the Great Sandy Strait.

Fraser Island had promised and delivered a unique experience. I’d love to learn how to drive in the sand and go back with a tent and stay wild in some of the more remote spots. One of the frustrations and delights of the island is how much effort you have to make to see it but how rewarding it is when you do. There is so  much more to experience  that we will just have to go back. For now we had new adventures to look forward to and another island to visit

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The furious pace of our first week in Queensland continued. After our fish and chips on the sea front we were off to River Heads to check in, dump the car and head over on the ferry to Fraser Island, the worlds largest sand island and World Heritage Site.

We stayed at the Kingfisher Resort, a vast sprawling but sensitively developed complex (as much as these things can be) amongst the dense forest. You can read my review of the resort here. We had a rather splendid timber villa up in the trees but it was dark by the time we checked in. The jet-lag was leaving us tired quite early in the evenings but this suited us as we’re not party animals. Also as it’s winter in Queensland it gets dark around 6pm and light at 6am so early to bed, early to rise was a good plan that we stuck to for most of the holiday

We woke the next morning to a pretty impressive dawn chorus from the local bird life. Bird song in eastern Australia is a real joy, every location offering a different loud tune usually accompanied by the laughing rant of a kookaburra. I heard a few people grumbling about it. I loved it. There were clearly showers in the air but the early morning view from the balcony across the forest was mighty fine.

For our first day we were taking the luxury option of a private tour in a 4WD. Just after eight we met our guide for the day, Gary. In typically Queensland style he was knowledgeable charming and good-humoured and he really made the day with his good company. They have recently sealed the resort roads (all of the roads on the island are sand) but as you crest the hill behind the resort you suddenly plunge into the real Fraser Island. A rollercoaster of a sandy track, rutted and quite daunting even as a passenger. I had thought of hiring my own 4WD and taking us around but I bailed on that idea after reading too many stories of getting stuck and worse. A hundred yards down the track and I was so glad I did. It clearly needed a good deal of skill that I don’t have so I settled down for a day of being chauffeured around.

The island doesn’t look that big on the map but of course like all things Australian, its enormous. It’s not only the worlds largest sand island but the largest island on the east coast where large islands are in abundance. 75 miles long and 15 miles wide its size takes some getting used to especially when driving along its bouncy sand tracks. The west coast where the resort is, faces the calm waters of Platypus Bay (where we’d seen the whales the day before), characterised by white sand and mangroves. We were off to the east coast that faces the open Pacific Ocean. Only 15 miles by sand track it took over an hour from the resort

The forest is incredibly dense which is amazing when you consider the island has no topsoil. Everything grows in sand. Every so often a huge expanse of sand is visible called a blow which gives you an idea of what the island would look like if it had no trees. The one below is called the Stone Tool Sand Blow as they found Aboriginal Stone Tools buried there.

You can glimpse the ocean in the distance and we were soon down to one of the islands crowning glories, 75-mile beach

Here we picked up speed as when the tide is out the beach becomes the highway and the whole stretch has numerous 4WDs bouncing along. Driving on the beach is great fun and it’s a really novel experience to be driving at 40mph just a few feet from the crashing waves (if you check out the slideshow at the bottom there are some videos within).

Inland are cliffs of sand, a myriad of hues and colours and all along people camped out right by the beach. What I wouldn’t have given to be staying here right on the beach rather than a resort hotel

For most of Northern Queensland the coast is protected by the Great Barrier Reef but it doesn’t stretch this far south. As a result this is proper ocean, booming, crashing waves and foamy surf with fishermen plying their trade every few hundred yards. It looks pretty good for a swim but that’s not a good idea. Apart from the powerful rips that will drag you away to a watery grave, sharks and rays patrol in near the shore ready to add you to the menu or impale you like the poor unfortunate Steve Irwin

Fortunately Gary was taking us on a long drive up the beach to one of the few places on the Island where you can swim in the sea, the Champagne Pools.

Even though you pick up speed on the beach it’s a long drive. It had been grey and showery most of the morning but just as we arrived at the pools the sky cleared and the sun burst through. Marvellous

The Champagne Pools are huge sandy pools with a rock wall separating them from the booming waves. The waves crash over the walls filling the pools with foaming surf every minute or so, hence the champagne moniker. Time for a swim

The water was pleasantly warm for our first dip in the ocean but the strong breeze made it a chilly swim. However it was a truly fantastic swim and sitting on the rock wall with the surf washing over you and into the pool before jumping into its calm depths was fantastic. We were only in the water for about 15 minutes but it was still a stand out moment. The kids loved it although TBF felt it was perhaps a little too chilly to be  swimming in the ocean. I hadn’t travelled halfway around the world to look, I was keen to take everything on and loved every second.

Only downside was that TJS cut his foot and bled quite lavishly and I managed to bruise my heel which migrated from a minor inconvenience to severely painful within a few strides. I hoped it would wear off but it plagued me for the rest of the trip.

After a swift change we headed back down to Indian Head, one of the few rocky outcrops on the island. It’s an impressive spot, named by Captain Cook after the Aborigines he saw watching him from the headland as he sailed by. In those days anyone not white was deemed “Indian” hence the name. It was a short brisk hike to the top and the view up and down the beach were breathtaking

It was time for lunch and Gary unpacked the picnic. I’m not sure how many people they thought would be in the car but there was enough food to feed ten people not 5!! We made a brave stab, ate about a quarter of it and took the rest home (we never did eat it all). As we ate the sun came out again and the views were again stunning

Due to the time it takes to head this far up the beach (around 30 miles I guessed) we had to head back. The tide was coming in fast making the driving much trickier. Rather than the hard-packed wet sand nearer the low tide, we were on the soft stuff near the cliffs. The creeks that drain the forest also create small edges a few centimetres high that give you quite jolt when you don’t see them coming. Hard work for the driver but great fun for his passengers

We passed the famous landmark of the Maheno Shipwreck (more of that in a later post) on our way to one of the eastern coast resorts at Eurong for an ice cream (TBF enjoyed the delights of the superbly named “Golden Gaytime” ice cream)

One of Fraser Islands most intriguing residents are it’s Dingos, Australian wild dogs. They are the purest strain in the country and here roam wild amongst the tourists and campers. All the resorts are surrounded by dingo fences and everywhere you go are warning signs to “Be Dingo Safe”. You get the impression they are everywhere but after most of the day we hadn’t seen one and were giving up hope. Just before we turned inland we saw our first one!

They look remarkably like very ordinary dogs, albeit slightly scruffy and lean. They look like the kind of dog you would wander over to and rub his head and tickle him behind the ears. This one in particular seemed especially chilled and just sat calmly as we drove past. Make no mistake they are not puppy-dogs. As a rule they will keep to themselves but they will come into camps and steal food and there have been injuries and deaths from dumb tourists doing all the things the signs tell you not to do, namely approach them and try to pet them (or even feed them!) or run away screaming when you see them (that’s an invitation to a Dingo to chase and hunt you down). Apparently (!) you just hold your hands out to show you have nothing of interest, maintain eye contact, back away (never turn your back) and they will likely ignore you. I found looking at them from inside a car to be much safer

Still it was amazing to be up this close to a proper wild animal, even if he did look uncannily like my nans old dog, Sandy.

After a short drive we saw another couple, this time digging for and finding some gutted fish carcasses carelessly left in the sand by a fisherman.

Satisfied with a long day of beach and forest driving, swimming and dingo spotting we headed back to the resort on another long, bouncy and stunning drive through the endless forest that is Fraser Island.

Just time for a swim in the very chilly unheated pools at the resort and to wander down to the beach on the other side to watch the sunset.

My foot was now excruciatingly painful and I could barely walk. I was seriously worried I’d done some major damage that was going to spoil the trip. Walking back up to the villa after the meal nearly had me in tears such was the pain and frustration. The nice people at reception kindly lent me some crutches in the hope that taking the weight off it would help. It certainly made the very painful hobble back up the villa much easier.

 

Another magnificent day but Fraser Island is as I said, huge and there was much more to see. Off to bed early, there was another big day ahead tomorrow

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Been a bit quiet on here the past few weeks and I bet you were all wondering where I’d gone. You were worried, I can tell as you’re all very caring readers, I can see that from here.

Well, after a year and half of planning and anticipation we went to Queensland, Australia for a month and what an amazing time we had. I’m still sifting through photos and in fact I’m still several posts behind from my pre-holiday antics so it will be a few weeks before I start to write up all the fantastic stuff we got up to.

In advance of that here’s a bit of taster of what’s to come and the places – and wildlife – we saw

Whale Watching at Hervey Bay

Fraser Island

Lady Elliot Island

Eungella National Park

The Whitsunday Islands

Magnetic Island

Mission Beach & Dunk Island

Port Douglas & the Great Barrier Reef

Daintree River

Cape Tribulation and Far North Queensland.

But first, back to Shropshire, The Elan Valley and the Lleyn Peninsula………